Cuba Libre - 1898   "Little Hunchback"
Today - In response to the mysterious explosion that sank the American battleship Maine, the US invaded Cuba 113 years ago today – launching the Spanish-American War  allegedly to gain Cuba’s independence from Spain. Looking back, a rational American is faced with two disturbing  questions regarding America’s tar baby relationship with the island nation: (1) What have we gained from our involvement with Cuba? (2) And, since the US “freed” Cuba, how many years have the Cuban people enjoyed a corrupt-free democratic form of government? The honest answer to both questions: Zip, Nada, Bupkis, Zero!

Birthday Girl – Born Francis Ethel Gumm 89 years ago today, Judy Garland spent 45 of year 47 years on this planet performing for various audiences – to the delight of millions and the destruction of herself.  Dead at 47 from a drug overdose, Garland married five times, gave birth to three children and left a genius legacy of tortured triumphs and tragedies. Less than five feet tall, the MGM mogul Louis B Mayer called Garland his “little hunchback” in his stable of statuesque stars like Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor. Paired with teen song and dance idol Mickey Rooney, Garland starred in a rapid fire series of “backyard musicals” at an exhausting pace that led her life-long addiction to uppers and downers originally supplied by her studio handlers.  That said, her genius still endures 42 years after her death – as evidenced if you click on the following:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhzbzwPNgXA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRYVIGjZk_U&feature=related